Rail-clamp.



Z r WW2 6 6 W JZmW A VA TTURNEY.

F. E. DILLON.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED mums, 1911.

1,050,009, Patented Jan.7, 1913.

INVENTUR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRIEND E. DILLON, 0F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWG-TENTI-IS TO CHARLES H. COPP, TWO-TENTHS T0 HAL SIEIDEL, AND TWO-TENTHS TO Gr. 0. NAGLE, ALL OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 23, 1911.

Patented Jan. 7,1913.

Serial No. 634,994.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, FRIEND E. DILLON, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Wheeling, county of Ohio, and

State of West Virginia, have invented oer-- tain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway rail oints, and more particularly to a device 'for securing the meeting ends of railway rails.

The primM object of the invention is to provide a device for rigidly holding the adj acent, or approaching, ends of railway rails in position without the employment of the usual nuts and bolts.

A further object is to provide a simple, strong and durable device of the character mentioned whereby the rails are firmly supported and maintained in direct alinement and which may be adjusted from time to time, as occasion requires, to compensate for wear.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the invention, applied; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, a portion of the clamping member being broken away at one end; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. i is a cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a similar section, illustrating a modification.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views1 1 indicate the approaching ends of railway rails, and 2 and 3 two splice-bars seated against opposite sides of the webs of said rails. The bar 3 has a plain outer face, while the bar 2 has formed integral therewith on its outer face a longitudinal rib 4: which has, preferably, a longitudinal groove or channel 5 in its outer face.

The bases of the rails are seated upon the fiat base portion of a chair-like clamping member 6, of substantially C-shape in end elevation, having oppositely disposed integral upwardly and inwardly curved portions 6* and 6 The edge of the curved portion 6 is adapted to be received in the channel 5 of the rib 4 of splice-bar 2, while the edge of the opposite curved portion 6 is adapted to seat in a similar channel 7 provided in the inclined outer face of a tapered wedge-member 8, the curved portion 6* having its edge inclined to correspond substantially with the inclination of said wedge. Said wedge is inserted between the splice-bar 3 and the inclined edge of the curved portion 6 at the wider end of the space and is driven inward to exert a pressure which will firmly bind the splice-bars 2 and 3 against the webs of the rails. For securing the wedge against chance retraction any suitable means may be employed, the means herein shown consisting of a bolt 9 having its head and an adjacent portion of its body seated in a T-slot 16 in the tapered end of the wedge, and a nut 10 threaded on said bolt against a plate 11 fitted against the end of the clamping member and through which said bolt is projected.

Struck up from the metal of the clamping member 6 and lying in the plane of the base portion thereof is one or more outwardly directed lugs 12 adapted to rest upon supporting crossties 13, each lug having an aperture 14 therein through which spikes 15, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, are directed for securing the clamping member against movement.

Instead of employing the separate wedgemember 8, a splice-bar 3 having a rib 8 formed integral therewith on its outer face, as shown in Fig. 5 may be employed, said rib having its outer face inclined to correspond with the adjacent inclined edge of the curved portion 6 of the clamping member. In such case the splice-bar 3 and rib 8 are together driven into position between the rail-webs and the inclinedv edge of the clamping portion 6".

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I provide an extremely simple, durable and efiicient device for securing alined rails in position at the joint; and that practically any desired requisite binding pressure may thereby be applied to the rails.

The clamping member may be formed of cast steel, or may be stamped and formed from a heavy plate of rolled steel. The

ma itwtiluu illllllllwithlliljlliliillllllllllllllW llillllilllWillijimmy even arcuate curvature of the curved p0r tions 6* and 6 is designed to give the member a slight degree of flexibility.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with approaching rail ends, of a pair of oppositely disposed splicebars, one of said bars having a longitudinal rib on its outer face, a clamping member comprising a base portion upon which said rail ends rest and oppositely disposed upwardly and inwardly curved portions, one of said portions being seated against said rib, a Wedge interposed between the opposite curved portion of the clamping member and the adjacent splice-bar whereby the opposing splice-bars are forced into bearing engagement with said rail ends, said Wedge aving a T-slot in its smaller end, means for holding said wedge in adjusted position, said means comprising a bolt seated in said slot and projected outward therefrom, a plate seated against the end of the clamping member and having the end of said bolt projected therethrough, and a nut on said bolt resting against the outer face of said plate.

2. The combination with approaching rail ends, of a pair of oppositely disposed splice bars, one of said bars having a longitudinal rib on its outer face, a clamping member comprising a base portion upon which said rail ends rest and oppositely disposed upwardly and inwardly curved portions, one of said portions being seated against said rib, a wedge interposed between the opposite curved portion of the clam ing member and the adjacent splice-bar w iereb the opposing splice-bars are forced into aring engagement with said rail ends, means for holding said wedge in adjusted posi' tion, and struck-up apertured lugs integral with said clampin member.

3. The combinat1on with approaching rail 4 ends, of a pair of oppositely dls osed splicebars, one of said bars having a ongitudinal rib on its outer face, a clamping member comprising a base portion upon which said rail ends rest and oppositel disposed up- M wardly and inwardly curve portions, one of said portions being seated against said rib, a wedge interposed between the opposite curved portion of the clamping member and the adjacent splice-bar whereb the opposing splice-bars are forced into ming engagement with said l'%flmtlllm for holding said wedge in justtfjl tion, and struck-up apertured In in i with said clamping member an i the plane of the base ortion of the In testimony whereoi I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRIEND E. DILLON.

\Vitnesses:

H. E. DUNLAP, W. R. WARREN.

Ooplos of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratentl, Washington, D. G. 

